Mary Beddie (1856 - 1933)

Born 17 Dec 1856 in Carcoar, NSW

Ancestors

Died 16 Jul 1933 at age 76 in Burwood, NSW

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Biography

Obituary

MISS MARY BEDDIE, who passed away recently, in her 77th year, at Croydon, Sydney, figured amongst the pioneers of the Australian Labor Movement, and formed the first Labor League in Surry Hills. She also, established the Howard Prison Reform League, and was president of that organisation till her death. In 1928 she visited the Land of Bobbie Burns as a member of the Australian delegation, and while abroad investigated the prison systems in Britain and on the Continent. Mary Beddie was in all a splendid character, and her personality, together with her activities on behalf of the Labor Movement, and the sufferers of the present system, will be genuinely missed.^[1]

Mary was a staunch supporter of women's rights - see the link to the article below at Trove

Will

MANY BEQUESTS

Elderly Woman's Will

Miss Mary Beddie, who died on July 10 at the age of 76 years, left an estate of £2213. Her will directs distribution of her estate among various social and political bodies, and for educational purposes, and directs that the residue shall be applied to provide a library and prizes for women students of economics, evolution, and industrial history. Among the gifts provided for are £50 to the Devonshire street Kindergarten, £50 to Surry Hills playgrounds for children, £50 to the Howard League for Penal Reform (N.S.W. branch), and £10 each to the Surry Hills branch of the A.L.P., the Central Women's Committee of the A.L.P., the Peace Society of N.S.W., the Women's Justices Association, and the Surry Hills Workmen's Institute, Miss Beddie left her books to the Trades Hall library.^[2]

http://calendararchive.usyd.edu.au/Calendar/1990_vol2/PDF/1990-91%20v2%20-%200059.pdf This pdf file details the Mary Beddie Scholarship for women studying economics.

Photo Credit: Paul Bech

Mary Beddie is buried in Carcoar Cemetery.

Australian Worker (Sydney, NSW : 1913 - 1950), Thursday 4 November 1915, page 13

MISS BEDDIE.

When these small interview-notices of the four women who are standing for selection for the Senate were first suggested,I had hoped that all would appear in the same issue of The Worker. To this end the four were notified, but un fortunately what was hoped for did not come to pass. Mrs. Seery, as mentioned, had her husband to attend to, and Miss Beddie had to be written to twice; and, in her reply, just to hand, she says, ‘I do not care to, as it were, 'toot my own trumpet.' .. . I am one who will work just as well in the team as in the lead, and am rather, sensitive about publishing myself.' But as this is a women's page, it is only fair to women readers that they should have some account of their fellow-women — especially as men have the lion's chance of election! To return to Miss Beddie: In answer to our enquiries, we are informed that she has long been a worker in the Labor Cause, and particularly for the bettering of conditions for women, and that she is the author of the resolution to Conference which resulted in 'Full Citizen Rights for Women' being made a plank of the Labor Platform. She is also the author of the resolution which ended, in Trade Schools being established for children; though part of the full text of the resolution, 'That the State undertake the full industrial education of all children,', has yet to be included on the plank. This inclusion she feels, it her duty to fight for; as she recognises how much the untrained are at a disadvantage compared with others; and, also, that training should be thorough and on a sound basis, so. that the half-trained apprentice of private enterprise may not be thrown into competition with skilled and well-trained artisans. . . - . As 'a woman's woman,' she claims to be the first to draw public attention, through the press, to the many injustices and disabilities that women suffer from — the condition of the Domestic Workers being a case in point. Met with much opposition, she persevered till the Domestic Workers' Union came into being, and being made president, she held that office till obliged, in 1913; to give it up by the claims of private business (after six years' presidency). Besides the position of the hired worker, Miss Beddie is a constant advocate for improvement in the general housing of people with a view to making life better and easier for the home-keeping house-wife and mother. To this end she speaks and writes frequently of the need of women architects— so fail with little result, but with much, persistent hope. In addition to this, the lot of the nurse going to the front gained her attention, and, when the first contingent was being got ready she insisted, in the press, that they should be fully equipped out of public funds the same as the soldiers. 'I believe,' she says, 'that that is now done, and no nurse has to buy her own outfit.' A quiet woman, Miss Beddie does not count herself a public speaker, though by her earnestness and faith in her cause she makes converts. By her own indus try she has built up a very successful business, and looks forward hopefully to a time when she will have more leisure to give to the great work of helping to leave the world better than she found it. As to the selection for the Senate, she takes a just pride in her work, and hopes to pioneer farther along the road she has already helped to pioneer.

Sources

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article237059445.txt?print=true

Australian Worker (Sydney, NSW : 1913 - 1950), Thursday 4 November 1915, page 13

1. ↑ Obituary, The Australian Worker (Sydney, NSW), Wednesday 26 July 1933
2. ↑ The Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW), Friday 29 December 1933